Trek for the Newbies

Television, Movies Games and Books Star Trek
#1

Okay so I’m not a big Star trek fan, I liked some of the DS9 and strangely enough the enterprise series I liked what I saw when just about everyone else didn’t.

But so I’m calling out for you all to give me a short list of cool star trek episodes from whatever of series, you think are worth a watch for me. Because in all honesty I tuned out most of the next generation, I wasn’t around for the original series and voyager well I only ever liked it when Captain proton was around, and I had a buddy point me to those episodes.

So show me the goods because I trust all you folk’s good taste I just need some pointers.

#2

From The Next Generation start with:

‘The Measure of a Man’
‘The Best of Both Worlds’
‘The Inner Light’
‘Cause and Effect’

From The Original Series:

‘Space Seed’
‘City on the Edge of Forever’
‘Mirror, Mirror’

That’ll get you started, from there you’ll be begging for more. If you got iTunes you can click below for the Original Series.

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/M...75853&s=143441

#3

Wow, I would add (and I’m continuing frakkintalos’ list, because I agree with all of his choices)

TOS: Balance of Terror, Mirror Mirror, I Mudd

TNG: There are SO many! Elementary, Dear Data; Captain’s Holiday; Data’s Day; The Drumhead; Darmok; Schisms (scariest Trek episode ever); A Fistful of Datas; Chain of Command Part II; Starship Mine; Frame of Mind; All Good Things.

DS9: Even more cool stuff! Duet; The Jem’Hadar; The House of Quark; Civil Defense; The Adversary; Our Man Bashir; Hard Time; The Ship; Trials and Tribble-ations; Empok Nor; Who Mourns For Morn (maybe the coolest Trek episode ever); Far Beyond the Stars; In The Pale Moonlight; Badda-Bing Badda-Bang; Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges;

Voyager: Year of Hell I and II, Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy

Enterprise: there were good Enterprise episodes?

#4

In a Mirror, Darkly was pretty cool

#5

oh yeah, I actually saw that, you’re right, that was pretty good

#6

RE: Enterprise. I know what you mean GR but I really liked “The Andorian Incident” and the Vulcan trilogy from the last season (The Forge, Awakening, and Kir’Shara).

I thought Enterprise handled the established races very well. It was really cool to have the Tholians up close and personal. I think if they started out with the precedent they set in the last season, I’m sure it would have lasted longer. I really would have liked to see the Romulan war instead of the ‘Time war’ and Xindi arc.

#7

I’d like to add, DS9: The Visitor (best father-son episode in any scifi i’ve seen yet), Waltz (my personal favorite of DS9, but you really need to watch in order to appreciate this episode), Second Skin (what got me into DS9). The thing about DS9 is that it is extremely relevant today, even though it ended way before 2000.

#8

For TOS, “The Menagerie” is also a must-see not only because it is a cool story but also because it is the only (canonical) glimpse we see of the Enterprise under her previous captain Christopher Pike. I love this episode – TOS’ only two-parter – and it has never disappointed me in umpity-ump rewatches over 20+ years now as a fan (yikes, I’m getting old!). Highly Recommended.

#9

which raises an interesting question: is the FIRST TOS pilot episode available on DVD or elsewhere?

#10

“The Cage” is available in both B&W and color versions in the boxed set of season 3, and also separately in an earlier DVD release, paired with epsiode 79, the final episode, “Turnabout Intruder” (to be avoided!)

#11

It’s in the Season 3 DVD set. It’s a recently discovered color print–for years the only known copy was B&W. (Just checked: both versions are included.)

#12

some Voyager episode recommendations, since not many episodes are suggested by other forumers. It is true that Voyager wasn’t handled very well, and the quality wasn’t very consistent. And the over use of reset buttons, even though there were a few good ones. The final season was like a slap in the face of fans that followed it for 7 years. But, some of it were extremely compelling and thought provoking.

Season 3:
Real Life (Holographic Doctor thought he knew about human family life, but after experiencing the more difficult side of family life, EMH found the courage to go through with the simulation. one of my favorite EMH episodes)

Worst Case Scenario (not really thought provoking, but it was fun to watch)

Season 4:
Nemesis (explorers how propaganda can affect the judgment of even most educated people).

Year of Hell (like GalaxyRanger suggested, it’s how Voyager should have been)

Living Witness (awesome episode that discuss truth of history v.s. society needs)

Season 5:
In the Flesh

Timeless (the best reset button story of Voyager)

Nothing Human (medical advancement and saving lives v.s. medical ethics)

Latent Image (Social status in medical decisions, some people hate this one because they felt like it had no ending, but I love how it lets us decide.)

Course: Oblivion (again some hates this episode, but i like the question it brings up, one of the few reset buttons i liked)

Season 6:
Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy (as GalaxyRanger suggested, this one is just fun to watch)

Life Line

As you can tell, i didn’t enjoy the Kazon, or Borg stories… but Voyager is worth watching for these episodes, and some other just for fun episodes. As ong as you don’t watch Season 7 and a season 2 episode called Threshold, it’s not that bad.

#13

I disagree–any fan of Denny Crane is sure to appreciate Shatner’s (over)acting* in “TI”

*of course that’s like saying Baltar has a “bit of an ego”

#14

A lot of my favorites have already been mentioned, but here’s a few more

TNG–The Offspring, Yesterday’s Enterprise, Devil’s Due (If only to meet Audra’s avatar), The Drumhead (to see how Trek does “Litmus”), Chain of Command I & II, Tapestry, Gambit I & II

DS9–too many to name

Voyager–Message in a Bottle (Inspired hilarity with Andy Dick “You really should keep a personal log. Why bore others needlessly?” and “Stop breathing down my neck!” “My breathing is merely a simulation.” “So is my neck!”), Living Witness, Drone, and some other good guest appearances: Revulsion with Leland Orser, Gravity with Lori “Tank Girl” Petty, Dragon’s Teeth with Prison Break’s creepy future T-Bag Rob Knepper, Blink of an Eye with Lost’s Daniel Dae Kim, and Child’s Play with Mark “Romo Lampkin” Sheppard.

okay, I think I’ve embarrassed myself

#15

My favorite TOS episodes:

Balance of Terror
Enterprise Incident
Corbomite Maneuver
Doomsday Machine
Ultimate Computer (featuring Dr. Daystrom)

That these feature spectacular space battles (mostly in the mind’s eye), probably speaks to my predilections.

TNG episodes:

Best of Both Worlds
Below Decks

#16

First off…Deckard…great handle…I wish I had thought to use it!

:smiley:

I would like to ask the group a fundamental question: The episodes that you are naming, can they be enjoyed and understood without context? Meaning, if you haven’t seen every episode up to that point in the series, will it have the same impact?

My challenge would be the episode needs to be exceptional AND a stand alone. Does the episode from Enterprise, “In a Mirror Darkly”? have the same resonance without understanding not only the original storyline from TOS but understanding why this universe is so vastly different from the one normally portrayed?

I know it is hard to put yourself in the shoes of someone who hasn’t seen the entire series, but I do have a concern that the episodes may not have the same impact if not seen within the framework they are intended.

#17

Pretty much. That’s the upside of the ‘Magic Reset Button’ that tends to get pressed at the end of each episode. Even the Mirror-verse episodes aren’t linked to each other (other than taking place in the same, or similar, 'verse.)

The exceptions would be DS9, which had larger story arcs (and their Tribble episode is a lot more enjoyable if you’ve seen the original.) Enterprise may fall into this, too, but I didn’t watch enough to be sure.

#18

I would argue that, yes, the episode I mentioned, “The Menagerie,” certainly could be enjoyed without prior knowledge of “Star Trek,” since by its structure it provides so much of its own context.

#19

Cool, thanks guys. I admittedly fall into a strange Trek camp:

  1. Love the TOS movies
  2. Loved TNG
  3. Loved Enterprise

Watched some DS9 at the beginning, but my interest waned. Tried Voyager for a bit, but it felt tired. I know enough of the universe to probably watch those episodes and understand but wanted to think about someone who had no/little prior experience.

#20

you mean you never saw the Dominion War?